2013 review: Accentuating the positive

The year that ends today had its share of bad news. Washington's dysfunction reached a new low with a 16-day partial federal shutdown in October that cost the economy $24 billion. Lawmakers caved in to the gun lobby and rejected gun-control laws in the wake of the Newtown shootings.

There were, however, a number of positive signs. Not the least of those is the fact that the U.S. has avoided military involvement in two festering foreign crises.

Real progress was made in turning Iran away from the production of nuclear weapons. This may be more due to Russia than to the U.S., but who cares as long as there are results.

President Obama, showing wisdom in recognizing his line-in-the-sand comment was a mistake, kept the U.S. out of the Syria quagmire. Too many U.S. warriors have died in past misadventures because their leaders stuck stubbornly to failed policies.

Nationally, it looked as if the Affordable Care Act finally had turned the corner after a disastrous rollout. More than 5.5 million people have coverage under either private insurance or Medicaid and California's SCHIP program. Even many Republicans now concede the law is not going to be repealed.

Congress seemed to have learned its lesson from the shutdown and passed a compromise budget bill that pleased no one completely but was acceptable to those who understand that government cannot function without compromise.

Revelations of widespread spying on just about everyone by the National Security Agency has angered allies and U.S. citizens alike, so much so that pressure is growing in Congress to rein in the snoopers. Conflicting court decisions mean the Supreme Court will settle the matter if Congress does not.

Science moved ahead on a number of fronts. Physicists confirmed the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson, the particle that gives mass to everything in the universe, and a human ear was created with use of a 3-D printer such as the one to be installed at Western Carolina University.

In North Carolina, it's hard to find good news amid the General Assembly's assault on everything from education to the middle-class taxpayer. A state accustomed to being in the national spotlight for positive achievements experienced the opposite on numerous occasions in 2013.

Still, some positive things happened, or at least negative things did not happen.

The state's draconian voter ID law, which an Asheville-area Republican activist freely admitted was designed to keep Democratic turnout down, has been challenged by many organizations, as well as the U.S. Justice Department, and plaintiffs may be able to get some provisions blocked for 2014.

The employment picture, both in the state and in the mountains, keeps improving. The average wage in Asheville reached $20.20 an hour and the area has almost regained all the jobs lost in the Great Recession.

Locally, River Arts District renewal advanced on two fronts. Site preparation is underway for the New Belgium brewery. The $175 million investment should create more than 150 well-paying jobs by 2020.

Across the river, RAD Lofts will add 209 apartments, as well as retail and office space. The city has given all necessary approvals and groundbreaking is expected in the spring.

And, of course, the many people who selflessly give of themselves to help others still are with us. There are so many people and individuals involved that we hesitate to name any because we are bound to leave many out. You know who you are, and we thank you for your efforts.

Yes, 2013 could have been better. But it also could have been worse, much worse. We could still be mired in recession while involved in new shooting wars. The fact that we aren't allow us to look ahead with cautious optimism.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

2013 review: Accentuating the positive

The year that ends today had its share of bad news. Washington's dysfunction reached a new low with a 16-day partial federal shutdown in October that cost the economy $24 billion.